COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – While gas prices in the Columbus area rose for a second consecutive week, travelers heading in all directions in Ohio can plan ahead to fill up on the cheap, thanks to a few remaining bargains along the highways.
According to GasBuddy’s survey of 500 stations in the Columbus area, the average price at the pump climbed by 8.9 cents per gallon last week to reach $3.20. The current price is 31 cents per gallon higher than last month and 24.3 cents per gallon higher than this time one year ago.
The cheapest gas station in the Columbus area was priced at $2.75 a gallon on Sunday, while the most expensive was $3.35, a difference of 60 cents per gallon. The cheapest stations in Franklin County, however, require membership to fill up. The cheapest non-members station's low price starts at $2.79, followed by $2.89 and above.
Nationally, gas prices rose slightly, by 3.1 cents per gallon, to reach $3.01. The price of diesel also inched higher by 0.6 cents, settling at $3.48 per gallon.
And while prices also rose In Ohio, 7.9 cents from $3.03 per gallon to $3.11 per gallon, motorists heading to the four corners of the state and/or beyond can find a handful of areas where gas prices are considerably lower.
If you’re heading northbound to Cleveland, the Lodi exit, at State Route 83, includes several stations with prices around $2.75 per gallon. If you’re traveling east, exits on I-70 beginning in New Concord, Cambridge and beyond include gas stations with prices under $3.00, including a few slightly above and below $2.80 when approaching Wheeling, West Virginia. Prices soar once across the Pennsylvania border.
Warming up for a southerly vacation? Two or three stations along U.S. Route 33, near Clear Creek Metro Park, past Lancaster, offer $2.79 per gallon, but you’ll then have to wait until you get to the Ohio River and West Virginia before seeing major discounts.
West along I-70 there are two or three exits between South Vienna and Springfield that offer sub-$3 prices. But if you’re heading southwest, you’ll have less success in finding a sale. As you get close to Downtown Cincinnati and cross the river into Kentucky, prices hover around $3.00 per gallon.
And if you’re heading northwest towards Toledo, there are random pockets of excellent bargains. Upper Sandusky and Fostoria, along U.S. 23 and north of Findlay on I-75 include stations with prices ranging from $2.85 to as low as $2.45.
According to GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis Patrick De Haan, the window remains open for another round of falling prices before the new year, particularly in the Great Lakes region, where price cycling got a jump on the holiday season the previous two weeks.
“Last week's price hikes will likely be rolled back as stations resume undercutting each other,” DeHaan said. “As families travel for the holidays, this volatility at the pump serves as a great reminder to check prices before filling up to save as much as 25 to 50 cents per gallon.”
All prices are as of Monday, 7 a.m., according to GasBuddy.
